Nonprofit boards often find themselves stuck in a rut, performing the same old tasks with the same agenda month after month, with little impact. This "old work," as described by board expert Richard Chait in his 1996 article "The New Board Work of the Nonprofit Board," remains highly relevant today. I had the opportunity to rediscover this valuable resource in my files, and it reaffirmed that boards have the potential to move their work toward a more impactful and relevant approach.
Topics: Communications, Board Development, Goal Setting, Change, Goals, Culture, Strategy, Board Management, Board Leadership, Execution, Communication, Relationships, Development, Collaboration, Attitude, Ideas, strategic planning, board governance, Curiosity
Have you ever wondered why are some board members not engaged or even showing up to your meetings? Board meetings are a necessity for nonprofit organizations, but too often they can be boring, dry, and uninspiring.
They don’t have to be.
Topics: Board Development, Board Management, Board Leadership, Nonprofit, Leadership & Boards
As the new year rolls in, many nonprofits are embarking on a brand-new budget, with clean slates, fresh aspirations, and strategies poised for success. You may also find your organization with a new class of volunteers on your board of directors, fresh faces on committees and perhaps even new staff members on your team.
Topics: Leadership, Volunteer, Volunteer Leadership, Board Development, Volunteer Management, Nonprofit Leadership, Board Management, Board Leadership, finance
Do your board members regularly ask inquisitive and challenging questions? Does your board have a culture that promotes dialogue and debate?
An often-overlooked strategy of effective boards is to create and/or nurture a true culture of inquiry. Great boards engage members in a way that truly enlists their collective skill sets, thoughts, and differences of opinion. Dialogue with debate is a great thing to have in board meetings. Open discussions that include diverse perspectives position the board to make the best choices.
Topics: Culture, Board Management, Collaboration, Leadership & Boards, board governance
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Plans are important, but it's the action that makes the plan a reality. This month, the DBD team will be sharing ways for you to jump-start your work in 2023. |
Topics: Board Management, Leadership & Boards, board governance
Topics: Board Development, Board Management, board governance
Topics: Board Development, Fundraising, Fundraising Management, Board Management, Asking For Help, Nonprofit, financial management
Topics: Board Development, Fundraising, Fundraising Management, Board Management, Asking For Help, Nonprofit, financial management, board governance
Does your non-profit have Save-As-Itis?
Meaning, do you tend to open your previous board meeting’s agenda and click File > Save As to create the next one, plugging in the new date and modifying a few things here and there?
If that’s the case, you may not be leveraging the true brain power and contributions of board members.
Topics: Board Management, Communication, Death By Meeting, Nonprofit, Collaboration
A fairly common concern among nonprofit directors is that their board members won’t participate in fundraising efforts. Some board members may claim they weren’t told they were expected to ask for contributions when they joined the board. Others might say they don’t like to impose on their friends (or they want to avoid their friends coming back to them asking for money for their favorite charity). And still others promise they will help but never follow through.
Topics: Board Development, Board Management